World's largest cylindrical oil platform arrives in Norway

After 63 days at sea, the Goliat platform has arrived in Port Hammersfest in Norway. The platform covered 15,608 nautical miles on its way from South Korea and now has its last activities of getting ready for the first oil processing from the Barents Sea. Upon the start of the operations later in the summer, Goliat is expected to be the world’s northernmost producing offshore oil field.

The largest heavy transport vessel in the world, Dockwise Vanguard, has transported the platform throughout the Indian Ocean. On its way, the platform passed in the southern area of Africa and after north across the Atlantic west of the British Isles.

The Goliat FPSO platform is the world’s largest and most modern cylindrical oil facility. In Hammerfest, the platform’s deck will be dunk 10 meters beneath the surface of the water, which will enable the platform to float off into the sea. The oil production platform will then float on its own. Five tugs will help in the transport of the 170-meter high construction to Ersvika, in south-west sea region of Hammerfest.

By the time of its arrival at Ersvika, work to finish the last preparations for the production process will begin. In the preparation will be included testing, checking and inspection of all systems and platform equipment. The working process on the oil-platform will be in a 24-hours mode. In the fjord work phase of the operations, eleven ships will be enforced and the work will take around 2-3 weeks.

After the final preparations at Ersvika, the platform will be taken under tow about 80km to the Goliat field location . There the platform will be connected for the first time to its 14 anchor lines. After the installation of the umbilicals and risers, the platform will be linked to the electrical power cable from the land.